Los Angeles wildfires death toll rises to 16 as Gavin Newsom faces new firefighting funding scrutiny

Fire personnel respond to homes destroyed while a helicopter drops water as the Palisades Fire grows in Pacific Palisades, California on January 7, 2025. (Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)

The White House said in a social media post on Sunday that over 26,000 Californians have registered for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

"As of this afternoon, more than 26,000 people have registered for FEMA assistance made available by @POTUS' Major Disaster Declaration for California," the X post read.

"If you've been affected by the wildfires in Southern California, apply for federal assistance at http://DisasterAssistance.gov."

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone addresses reporters during a Sunday news conference. (Getty Images)

Residents displaced by the wildfires in Southern California won't be allowed to return to evacuation zones until the end of a forecasted Red Flag event on Jan. 15.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said those displaced because of the Palisades and Eaton fires can't go back to areas under evacuation orders or warnings.

“Unfortunately, those conversations are not going to begin until the next predicted red flag ends on Wednesday, so please rest assured that first thing Thursday, we will start talking about re-population and evacuation order and warning areas," he said during a Sunday news conference.

Southern California faces critical fire weather through Wednesday.

“Life-threatening winds and dangerously low humidity are forecast for much of Southern California - from Ventura to San Diego - creating a significant risk of rapid fire spread,” a Cal Fire post on X states. “The winds will cause increased fire activity.” 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said firefighters from his country are standing by and ready to help fight the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles County.

“Today, I instructed Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs and our diplomats to prepare for the possible participation of our rescuers in combating the wildfires in California,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives. This is currently being coordinated, and we have offered our assistance to the American side through the relevant channels. 150 of our firefighters are already prepared.”

Canada and Mexico had already sent firefighters to California to assist local crews battling the fires.

“California is immensely grateful to our neighbors’ support in the fight against the wildfires in Los Angeles,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on X.

The United States has provided Ukraine billions in military aid amid its war against Russia. President-elect Trump has questioned the aid given to Ukraine and has pushed for a peace deal.

The Hurst fire burns in the hills above Sylmar, CA on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Officials are currently probing whether one of the ongoing Southern California wildfires was caused by downed Southern California Edison (SCE) equipment.

SCE reported a fallen power line on Tuesday night at 10:11 p.m., roughly one minute after the Hurst Fire started in Sylmar, according to FOX Weather. SCE does not currently know if the damage occurred before or after the Hurst Fire started.

On Friday, the company submitted a report that authorizes "a government entity to investigate whether the infrastructure owned or operated by the utility caused a wildfire."

National Guard troops help a man with his bike on Sunset Boulevard and Temescal Canyon Road near the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has activated an additional 1,000 National Guard soldiers to assist in the response to the wildfires in Los Angeles County.

The additional soldiers bring the total number of troops to about 2,500. They are fighting fires and ensuring the public safety of communities, the governor said.

“The men and women of the California National Guard have been on the ground since day one – not only fighting fires, but also assisting with public safety efforts in communities devastated by these fires," Newsom said in a statement. "We thank them for their efforts to keep our communities safe.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom joined "Meet the Press" on Sunday to discuss the ongoing wildfires in California. (Screenshot/NBC)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Sunday removing some regulatory hurdles and red tape in an effort to help people impacted by the wildfires rebuild their homes and businesses faster.

Under the terms of the order, Newsom suspended some permit and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act and the California Coastal Act.

It also directs state agencies to identify additional permitting requirements, including provisions of the building code, that can safely be suspended or streamlined to accelerate rebuilding and make it more affordable, as well as extends protections again price gouging on building materials, construction and storage services in Los Angeles County through Jan. 7, 2026.

“When the fires are extinguished, victims who have lost their homes and businesses must be able to rebuild quickly and without roadblocks," Newsom said in a statement. "The executive order I signed today will help cut permitting delays, an important first step in allowing our communities to recover faster and stronger. I’ve also ordered our state agencies to identify additional ways to streamline the rebuilding and recovery process.”

The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce applauded the move, which it said would “play a critical role in accelerating the recovery and rebuilding efforts across Los Angeles County.”

“Governor Newsom's proactive measures to suspend regulatory hurdles, will allow property owners to begin reconstruction efforts without unnecessary delays, ensuring affected families and businesses can return to their lives sooner," the group said in a statement. "The directive for state agencies to identify and streamline additional permitting requirements underscores a commitment to making rebuilding safer, faster, and more affordable. We also strongly support the Governor's commitment to collaborating with the State Legislature to support the recovery and rebuilding efforts of the Los Angeles community.”

CEO and Portfolio Manager Pershing Square Capital Management L.P. William Ackman speaks at The New York Times DealBook Conference at Jazz at Lincoln Center on November 10, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for The New York Times)

Pershing Square Capital Management CEO Bill Ackman recently pitched a business venture designed to put out wildfires early using tech from SpaceX and Anduril Industries.

"Putting out fires before they spread does not seem like a serious technological challenge in a world with @SpaceX, @xai and @anduriltech," Ackman wrote in an X post on Sunday. "So @elonmusk and @PalmerLuckey, why don’t we start a company that uses satellites, AI, and drone technology to put out fires before they spread?"

"One can envision satellite monitoring, rapid drone investigation, and drone swarm water delivery," Ackman added. "The number of drones sent to extinguish the fire and the nature of the extinguishing agent (water, foam, dry or wet chemicals etc) would be a function of the nature and scale of the fire. No human lives would be put a [sic] risk and there is no risk of DEI involvement in drone selection."

"What do you think? I would love to invest."

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo appeared on Fox News Channel on Sunday to discuss the impact of the wildfires raging across Southern California.

During the segment, Gordo juxtaposed the celebration of Jan. 2's Rose Bowl, an annual football game held in Pasadena, with the devastation that the wildfires wrought onto his community.

"This is absolutely surreal," the mayor described. "You know, not more than ten days or so ago, we were celebrating pageantry. We were celebrating the best of parades and bringing in the new year with a great football game."

"And now here we are, with complete devastation in our communities surrounding the Rose Bowl and the community of Altadena," Gordo added. "Devastation is the only word to describe it, both human and property."

A Canadian firefighting aircraft sustained a hole when it was struck by a privately-operated drone last week above Los Angeles County. (FBI)

The FBI released images this weekend of a damaged water-dropping super scooper firefighting aircraft that collided with a drone over the Palisades Fire last week.

The Canadian plane collided with the drone, which was privately operated, on Thursday and sustained a 3x6 hole.

“When incidents like that happen, it causes a significant issue to public safety, causes an issue and dangerous scenarios for our first responders and the like," said Akil Davis, the FBI assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles Field Office. "So that investigation was initiated then. And since then, we have recovered parts of the drone. We are working with our public and private sector counterparts to try to identify the operator of that drone.”

Authorities have told people not to operate drones over fire-ravaged areas as crews continue to battle the blazes. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has placed temporary flight restrictions over the wildfires to give firefighting aircraft the proper airspace they need to operate.

The restrictions also apply to drones.

“That's going to take away firefighting efforts from saving houses, saving lives. If one of these planes should go down, that would literally be catastrophic,” said Davis.

President Joe Biden, right, speaks as Vice President Kamala Harris, left, listens during a briefing from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, on screen top right, Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanne Criswell, on screen top left, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, on screen at bottom, regarding the federal response to the spread of wildfires in the Los Angeles area, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

President Biden will convene “key officials” on Sunday to receive a briefing on the wildfires in Los Angeles County, the White House said.

Biden will be briefed on “efforts to suppress the wildfires" and how the federal resources he has allocated are supporting the state and local response, the White House said.

Vice President Kamala Harris is also expected to attend the virtual briefing.

Other officials slated to attend are: Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, FEMA Region 9 Administrator Bob Fenton, U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall and Deputy Homeland Security Adviser for Resilience and Response Caitlin Durkovich.

Residents leave a message for looters in the Eaton fire area in Altadena on Friday, January 10, 2025. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

Amid the many acts of courage in kindness we have witnessed during the Los Angeles infernos, a darker side of human nature has also emerged as cases of looting rise. Unfortunately, in virulently anti-gun California, homeowners are left with few self-defense options.

Police have already charged more than 20 people with looting. One pernicious pair went so far as to dress up as firefighters to help themselves to the valuables of victims whose homes were abandoned or destroyed.

Obviously, with the winds still whipping the deadly fires around Tinseltown, all resources, including police, are stretched to the breaking point, providing hard-hearted thieves with a target-rich environment for their crimes.

Read the opinion piece about California looters by David Marcus

A California family's unshaken faith emerged in the form of a lone statue of The Virgin Mary — untouched by the relentless flames of southern California's wildfires — her resilience amid the smoldering ruins leading them to sing in praise.

"It was remarkable how everything had gotten fried, but the statue of The Virgin Mary and another statue of Saint Joseph were in perfect condition," Peter Halpin, the family patriarch, told 'Fox & Friends Weekend' on Sunday.

"Obviously, they were a little singed, but we just took that opportunity to pray," he continued. "Our home is dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus and always has been and all my family members, my extended family, so we said a prayer to the sacred heart of Jesus, and then we sang that special song that our entire family has known for decades to The Blessed Virgin, and it was a remarkable thing."

Read the full article about the SoCal wildfires by Taylor Penley

A survivor of the devastating Eaton Fire that devastated the Altadena area of Los Angeles County recently spoke up about his experience fighting the inferno.

Justin Christie, a resident of Altadena, spoke with Fox News Digital on Saturday afternoon about his experience. As of Saturday evening, the Eaton Fire, which began on Tuesday, is only 15% contained.

Christie explained that his family has lived in the area since 1967, and had never seen anything as destructive as the Eaton Fire before.

Read the full article about the Eaton Fire by Andrea Margolis and Sophia Compton

Heidi Montag (L) and Spencer Pratt (R) attend the 2024 Reality TV Stars Of The Year at The Highlight Room on October 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)

Reality stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt might have lost their beloved Pacific Palisades home to the destructive California wildfires that continue to wreak havoc on the city of Los Angeles, but they certainly haven't lost their fans.

In an effort to support the couple, fans catapulted Montag's debut album, released in 2010, to the top of the iTunes charts, where at the time of publishing, it had secured the No. 1 spot for both song and album.

On Friday, days after his home had burned to the ground, Pratt acknowledged a rising interest in his wife's music. "Best news I've had in a week – which isn't saying much. Thank you to everyone streaming Montag's album, 'Superficial.' First time ever, top 50 on iTunes right now," he told his devout TikTok followers. 

Read the full article about Heidi Montag by Caroline Thayer

California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tour the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades as the Palisades Fire continues to burn on January 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

Gov. Gavin Newsom defended his handling of the raging fires in the Los Angeles area with a new website intended to combat "misinformation" that also links to Democratic Party fundraising giant ActBlue, Fox News Digital found.

Fires have been raging in the Los Angeles area since Tuesday, destroying thousands of acres and homes and leaving more than a dozen people dead in its wake. Newsom, amid criticisms of his handling of the fires, unveiled a new website this weekend to combat "misinformation" on California fire prevention and emergency efforts, linking to a website that raises donations through ActBlue.

"A lot of misinformation out there. Just launched a new site to ensure the public has access to fact-based data around the Southern CA wildfires," Newsom posted to X on Saturday. 

Read the full article about Gavin Newsom by Emma Colton

Melina during the "See No Evil" premiere in Los Angeles. (J.Sciulli/WireImage for Lionsgate)

Former WWE star known as Melina was reported "safe" on Sunday after concerns were raised over her whereabouts amid the devastating Los Angeles wildfires during the week.

A Matter of Pride Wrestling, which initially expressed fears over the former pro wrestling, offered an update on social media.

"We’re relieved to share that Melina has made contact and is safe. We want to thank everyone for their concern, support, and outreach during this time. Your kindness and compassion means the world to us," the pro wrestling company wrote on X.

Read the full article about Melina by Ryan Gaydos

Approximately 29 people have been arrested in Los Angeles so far in connection to criminal activity related to the ongoing wildfires, including a burglary suspect who allegedly attempted to disguise himself as a firefighter, officials said Sunday. 

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said 25 of those arrested were in the area of the Eaton Fire, while four others came from the Palisades Fire evacuated zone. 

"When I was out there in the Malibu area, I saw a gentleman that looked like a firefighter. And I asked him if he was okay because he was sitting down. I didn't realize we had him in handcuffs," Luna recalled to reporters. "We are turning him over to LAPD because he was dressed like a fireman, and he was not. He just got caught burglarizing a home. So those are issues that our front line deputies and police officers are dealing with." 

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonald said one person was arrested Saturday night for violating a curfew order in the city, and three others were arrested the night before in connection to an alleged burglary. 

"There were three individuals in a vehicle. They were stopped. They were where they weren't supposed to be. One had on a fire jacket and a fire hat. And he was additionally arrested for impersonating a firefighter," McDonald said. "We have people who will go to all ends to be able to do what it is they want to do to exploit the victims of this tragedy." 

The chief warned that the 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time curfew remained in effect from Sunday night into Monday. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Danielle Wallace

Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., appeared to deflect when he was confronted about Los Angeles residents being angry over his wildfire response, saying local leaders and people on his own team weren’t giving him a clear picture of the devastation.

In an interview with liberal podcast, "Pod Save America," released on Saturday, the governor said he has struggled to get "straight answers" about went wrong with the wildfire response from lower-level leaders, suggesting that it has hampered his response.

"So, I’m the governor of California and wanna know the answer. I’ve got that question, I can’t tell you, by how many people, ‘What happened?’ – on my own team, ‘What happened?’… I’ll be candid with you, I wasn’t getting straight answers," Newsom told co-host Jon Favreau, referencing his conversations with local leaders.

Favreau mentioned how one of his "best friends" who lost his home in The Palisades suggested that Newsom is "just trying to pass the blame" for the crisis. He added that many residents are "so angry" about the state’s response to the devastating blaze and asked him to respond as the man who is "ultimately responsible" for the state.

Newsom admitted he wasn’t fully clued in to why the response was lagging and appeared to pass the buck to other leaders.

"We had my team start talking to local leaders, saying, ‘What’s going on?’" Newsom began.

"And you weren’t getting straight answers from the local leaders?" Favreau cut in. "I was getting different answers," Newsom affirmed, adding, "and so, for me, that’s not a – when you start getting different answers, then I’m not getting the actual story."

Newsom added that he has been giving these leaders "a little bit of grace," as he understands they’re "assessing" the "emergency environment."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Gabriel Hays

James Woods was among celebrities whose homes were spared from the destruction of the California wildfires.

Though the actor initially feared his house had been lost to the flames that consumed the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades Tuesday, Woods shared a positive update when he returned to the property after evacuating.

"A miracle has happened," Woods wrote on X, formerly Twitter, alongside a video of the view from his deck.

"We managed to get to our property and our home that we were told is gone forever is still standing. In this hellish landscape, ‘standing’ is relative, but smoke and other damage is not like the utter destruction around us."

In the clip shared by Woods, he panned the camera over "everything below us," to show scorched ground and buildings that had been reduced to rubble as plumes of smoke continued to rise in the distance.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Ashely Hume

When devastation strikes, it often uproots more than just physical homes and structures — it tears apart the very fabric of a community. 

For Sara Trepanier, a Navy veteran, single mother of four and emergency room doctor, the California wildfires reduced her home this week and beloved community to ashes.

On Tuesday, Trepanier and her family evacuated their home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, on Swarthmore Avenue. 

The mom and her 14-year-old daughter, Remy Trepanier, were in tears as they spoke with Fox News Digital about the loss of their home and how they managed to exit amid the chaos and destruction.

"I decided to walk my dog one block over as I went around the corner to the main street on the bluff," said Sara Trepanier. "You could see a little plume of smoke not on our hill, but on the hill to the left."

"As we watched it, it just rapidly went over the hill. Within 10 minutes, you could see these huge flames," she said.

"This is miles away. It's not on our direct hill. So as an ER doctor, I’m usually very calm, but I was like, 'It's moving so fast. It is.' You could tell it was climbing over the hill," she said.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Ashley J. DiMella

The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a potential burglary call at Vice President Harris' home in Brentwood, California, located within the Palisades Fire evacuation zone early Sunday, according to local reports. 

The LAPD confirmed to KTLA that officers detained two people at Harris' home while the 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time curfew was in effect. 

A call reporting the potential burglary at Harris' property on Bundy Drive, north of Sunset Drive, came into the West Los Angeles station around 4:40 a.m., KTLA reported. Officers responded to the scene and found two men in the area.

According to KTLA, the LAPD initially detained the two individuals for breaking curfew but have since released them, reporting that no evidence suggested a crime was being committed. 

KNBC reported that the two men were not on Harris' property when they were detained and that there was no evidence that they had entered the vice president's property. 

One law enforcement source told KNBC, "they likely had no idea where they were."

It's unclear why the pair was in the area near Harris' property and whether the matter would be investigated further.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Danielle Wallace

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass pushed back on claims that there was any animosity between President-elect Trump and leaders of Los Angeles as the city combats rampant wildfires on Sunday.

Bass made the statement during a press conference alongside police, firefighters and other city leaders. Multiple reporters asked Bass about the Gov. Gavin Newsom's invitation for Trump to visit the city, an invitation Bass joined in sending.

Bass said there is an ongoing discussion about the best timing for a Trump visit, but she confirmed that she had a "fine call" with transition team members on Saturday. She said city officials received a "positive response" from team Trump regarding the invitation, adding that she is "not concerned" about any friction with the incoming president.

Palisades residents Patrick Golling and Evan Golling joined "Fox & Friends Weekend" to discuss their efforts to use a pool pump to save their neighborhood from fires on Sunday.

Their efforts followed news that fire hydrants across the Palisades were unusable as firefighters attempted to halt the devastating blaze last week.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered an investigation into why the hydrants were unusable, though he himself is facing scrutiny for approving fire prevention budget cuts.

As fires wreak havoc in California, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., claimed in a post on X the catastrophe is "what a climate emergency looks like." In another tweet, he took aim at President-elect Trump, asserting the incoming president has been bought off by the oil industry.

"Trump has been bought for $1 billion by Big Oil. Just a payoff to kill the IRA and the Green New Deal. We know what will happen. More fires, more climate disasters, more death. The LA fires are preview of coming atrocities," Markey declared in a post on X.

Markey, who claims there is a "climate crisis," has also warned about the potential effects of artificial intelligence (AI).

He suggested rising use of AI could result in "doubling data center electricity demand by 2026," "increased carbon emissions," "water supply shortages" and "electronic waste." 

"We are already facing a climate crisis. We can't let AI make it worse," Markey warned.

Trump is slated to take office Jan. 20.

"In his first term, President Trump advanced conservation and environmental stewardship while promoting economic growth for families across the country," incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Alex Nitzberg

As multiple wildfires burn in Southern California, including the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, authorities have made the rare move of scooping up ocean water to help battle the flames.

Saltwater can damage equipment, infrastructure and wildlife — but sometimes firefighters need to use it anyway, according to Frank Papalia, a former New York City Fire Department lieutenant and a fire safety expert at Global Security Group.

"When someone falls down, gets hurt, possibly broke their neck or something like that, you don't move them. [But] if there's a fire around them, or there are chemicals around them and stuff, they're gonna die. So you have to move them — you have no choice," he told Fox News Digital.

The main way to use saltwater to fight fires is to draw it out of the ocean with a plane or helicopter and dump it from above, he said.

That's already being done in Southern California, where large wildfires have been burning out of control, video shows. But one plane was taken out of service already after someone flew a drone into its wing. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating, and a spokesperson told Fox News Digital that interfering with firefighters is a federal crime punishable by up to a year in prison and a $75,000 fine.

While saltwater can damage infrastructure, kill wildlife and have other consequences, sometimes it's a necessary trade-off, Papalia said.

"In this case, your city is burning to the ground, so using the saltwater is not that bad," he told Fox News Digital. "The problem is they are limited to how many aircraft they can fly at one time, how far they have to go, and how much water those can hold. You couldn't fly yesterday because of the wind."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Michael Ruiz

California has deployed firefighters from Mexico as well as nearly 1,000 prison inmates to help combat wildfires across Los Angeles this week.

“As of today, 939 Fire Camp firefighters have been working around the clock cutting fire lines and removing fuel from behind structures to slow fire spread, including 110 support staff.,” California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told NPR on Friday.

California has made a habit of deploying inmates to combat fires in recent years. The CDCR says inmates participate in the program voluntarily, and are compensated with between $5.80 to $10.24 per day.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom also said on Friday that firefighters from Mexico were on route to assist in combating the Eaton wildfire, which remains less than 20% contained.

Newsom did not detail how many people Mexico was sending.

More than 92,000 people have signed a Change.org petition as of Sunday morning demanding the resignation of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as wildfires in the area continue to rage on. 

The petition was started by a user named "Frustrated Californian" who accused Bass of "gross mismanagement" during the natural disaster crisis, and even called her out for not being in the country when the fires started.

Bass took major heat for traveling overseas to Ghana last week, which meant she was thousands of miles away from her city during the initial day of the destruction on Tuesday. 

"Water supplies have been severely strained, billions of taxpayer dollars have been misallocated or left unaccounted for, and countless lives have been lost," the petition reads. 

There are currently five active wildfires in Los Angeles County — Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth, Hurst and Archer.

Bass has been active on social media since her return to the U.S., with her latest post on X and Facebook on Saturday evening.

"Angelenos, we're still going through it and to any of you and all of you that have experienced a loss, the grief, the anger, the just utter shock. I've seen the devastation. It is unbelievable the amount of loss that people have experienced, but we have to get through this crisis and I know that we will," she said in a minute-long video.  

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Pilar Arias

The LA Department of Water and Power is sticking to its narrative that all hydrants in Pacific Palisades were working just fine before the fires — even though a major reservoir was taken offline beforehand.

“Any assertion that fire hydrants in the Pacific Palisades were broken before the Palisades fire is misleading and false," the department said in a statement. "L.A. Department of Water & Power was required to take the Santa Ynez Reservoir out of service to meet safe drinking water regulations. To commission the support and resources to implement repairs to Santa Ynez, L.A.D.W.P is subject to the city charter’s competitive bidding process which requires time."

Now the organization is facing further scrutiny after the county's $750,000-a-year water chief, Janisse Quinones, said her work is guided by an "equity" lens.

Quinones said in a July interview with KBLA radio that the importance of putting an "equity lens" to the DWP was "the number one thing that attracted me to this role."

"It's important to me that everything we do, it's with an equity lens and social justice and making sure that right the wrongs that we've done in the past from an infrastructure perspective, and we involve the community in that process," she said.

Private drones being flown near the wildfires consuming Los Angeles County continued to interfere with aerial firefighting efforts Saturday evening, according to officials, as the death toll from the flames rises.

Officials have detected 48 privately owned drones flying over the fires since the infernos erupted Tuesday, Los Angeles County Deputy Fire Chief Robert Harris said during a briefing Saturday evening.

"When those privately owned drones are detected, we have to pause firefighting activities, so we ask you to please assist us by not operating drones in the area," Harris said, adding that the drones’ owners are being sought by police and will face potential prosecution.

Authorities urge civilians not to fly drones near wildfires because they can get in the way of low-flying firefighting aircraft and delay emergency responders. Pilot distractions can be deadly.

On Thursday, someone flew a private drone into the wing of a Quebec 1 Super Scooper firefighting aircraft as it carried water to battle the wildfires. Officials said the collision caused a "fist-sized hole" in the aircraft and knocked it out of service until at least Monday.

The Super Scooper, which had flown down from Canada, was working to contain the Palisades Fire at the time of the incident. The pilots were unaware of the drone hit, which wasn’t discovered until they landed at Van Nuys airport and maintenance staff noticed the hole, officials said.

The FAA is investigating, and a spokesperson told Fox News Digital that interfering with firefighters is a federal crime punishable by up to a year in prison and a $75,000 fine.

Meanwhile, the death toll in connection with the wildfires has jumped to 16, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. Five of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire and 11 resulted from the Eaton Fire.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Stephen Sorace

Members of Congress from California on Saturday toured the ruins in Altadena and northern Pasadena caused by the still raging Eaton Fire.

Rep. Judy Chu, whose congressional district includes the communities most impacted by the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles County, led members of Congress from California on a tour of destroyed neighborhoods and streets.

The Eaton Fire expanded to more than 14,100 acres with 15% containment, Cal Fire reported Saturday night. About 7,000 structures have been scorched.

"I was so grateful to my colleagues in Congress from California who were able to drop everything and demonstrate to Los Angeles County and the entire nation that we as Californians have each other’s backs," Chu wrote in a statement released after the tour. 

The Pasadena Police Department and City of Pasadena officials spoke with the members about ongoing fire containment and disaster relief efforts.

"Pasadena officials imparted on my colleagues how difficult the rebuilding process will be and the massive support they need from the federal government to be successful," Chu wrote. "They also highlighted how many Black families, who found refuge from segregation and redlining in Altadena and parts of Pasadena, have lost all the generational wealth they successfully built up. My colleagues then witnessed streets, neighborhoods, and community institutions entirely razed to the ground."

Estimates of damage and economic loss on Thursday increased to $135 billion, according to AccuWeather, a private company that provides data on weather and its impact.

Chu said she looks forward to working with her colleagues to secure disaster relief funding necessary for recovery and rebuilding. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Alexandra Koch

Prior to drawing intense public scrutiny for her response to handling the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass was held in the highest esteem by the Democratic Party’s most prominent figures.

President Biden once considered Bass to be a top contender for his vice presidential running mate in 2020, while former President Barack Obama previously predicted that she would be an "outstanding mayor" of the city.

When Bass was a U.S. representative from California, the Biden campaign interviewed her as the then-Democratic candidate’s potential running mate. As Politico reported at the time, the campaign considered the lawmaker to be "persuasive but not flashy," "trusted by progressives but still respected by Republicans," and "passionate, yet not someone who would allow her own objectives to overshadow her responsibilities as Biden’s No. 2."

After then-Senator Kamala Harris eventually secured the role, Bass went on to run for mayor of L.A. in 2022, and earned major praise from Obama, who called her that year and predicted she’s "gonna be an outstanding mayor of L.A."

This high praise of Bass by two of the party’s top men is being called into question as Bass has been taking heat for how she has handled the wildfires destroying major portions of her city. 

As flames have destroyed thousands of homes, killed at least 11 people, and forced nearly 200,000 people from their homes, the mayor has been hammered for enacting budget cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department. 

Between the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 fiscal years, Bass oversaw the cutting of the fire department budget by nearly $18 million, while her initial proposal was to cut it by even more – up to $23 million. 

The LAFD budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year of $837 million was also dwarfed by the city’s homeless budget of $1.3 billion.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Gabriel Hays

California Fire Battalion chief David Acuna joined "Fox & Friends Weekend" to provide an update on the ongoing Los Angeles fires Sunday.

Acuna warned that the "entire perimeter" around the various wildfires in Los Angeles remain "threatened" as of Sunday morning. That comes despite some containment progress for the Palisades and Eaton fires, which sit at 11% and 15% containment respectively. In total, he said the flames have ravaged some 37,000 acres.

"The concern is these winds as they go back and forth," Acuna said, saying authorities remain cautious about updating their containment percentages.

Khloé Kardashian is voicing her frustration with Los Angeles officials about the California wildfires that have forced thousands to evacuate their homes and left many families displaced. 

On Friday, "The Kardashians" star took to social media to share a clip of a Fox 11 interview during which Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass failed the city. 

Kardashian, who evacuated her Hidden Hills home Friday, shared a screen grab from the clip to her Instagram story, saying, "I stand by YOU Chief Crowley!!!! You spoke the truth and you had tears in your eyes because I can tell you didn’t even want to say that but it was THE TRUTH!!!!"

"Thank you for being honest," she added. "Mayor Bass you are a joke!!!!"

In the interview Kardashian referenced, Crowley discussed budget cuts approved by the mayor months before the fires erupted. 

When asked by Fox affiliate KTTV Friday if Mayor Bass failed the city, Crowley replied, "Yes."

"Any budget cut is going to impact our ability to provide service," Crowley said. "That is a ground truth in regard to our ability. If there's a budget cut, we had to pull from somewhere else. What does that mean? That doesn't get done or that there are delays."

After the comments were made, a source told Fox 11 Crowley was "ordered" into a meeting with Bass to discuss her remarks. The mayor was "none too pleased," according to the source.

This is an excerpt from an article by Christina Dugan Ramirez

The death toll in connection with the wildfires sweeping through Southern California has jumped to 16, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.

Homicide detectives have still been unable to reach thousands of piles of rubble because of recuperated gas lines and debris, Fox Weather reported.